newsflash

The Government have released a new response to the fiasco that is the enforced transfer to The Police Pension Regulations 2015 of a large number of serving officers that were previously on The Police Pension Regulations 1987, or The Police Pension Regulations 2006.

If you have been following the case, you will know that the Government lost an appeal by the Fire Brigades Union Over a similar scheme.

The paper, signed off by RT HON STEVE BARCLAY MP,  Chief Secretary to the Treasury, proposed

…the introduction of a ‘deferred choice underpin’ (DCU) as the way to remedy the identified discrimination. This approach
will enable eligible members, when they retire with a pension, to choose whether the legacy or reformed schemes would be better for them for the period between 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2022.

It is clear that the Government intend to reintroduce the scheme (or similar) on 1 April 2022, at which point every serving officer will transfer.

In the meantime, serving officers who have retired, or who will retire between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2022, will have the choice as to whether they wish to receive benefits from the relevant legacy scheme or to instead receive the benefits that would have been available from the 2015 scheme.

Those who have already retired and/or received a pension award will be offered a choice as soon as practicable after necessary legislative and process changes can be made.

Here is the document –

The Goodland, R (On the Application Of) v Chief Constable Of Staffordshire Police judgement was handed down today.

An appeal is currently being considered.

Goodland, R (On the Application Of) v Chief Constable Of Staffordshire Police [2020] EWHC 2477 (Admin) (16 September 2020)

Many of our members, have over a period of time, used the free pension calculator on the Emergency Lounge site, which can be found here – http://emergencylounge.com/police/pension_calculator/

The site has been a long supporter of IODPA, and we have been working together to bring their calculator up to date which originally only catered for calculations under The Police Pension Regulations 1987. It now caters for calculations across multiple schemes including part-time working and is undoubtedly the best calculator available.

With the Home Office indicating that those who were forced onto the 2015 pension scheme, will be given the option to switch back to their original scheme, it is important that members understand the financial implications of doing so. We’ve had no indication that pension departments will provide these calculations for you in a timely manner.

It is important to note, as stated on the Emergency Lounge site, that the calculations are for illustration purposes only, and that official figures should be obtained before making any financial decisions, but they will provide you with an accurate prediction.

We’ve been beta testing this new calculator for the site, but if you find any problems with it, please let us know, or the site directly.

The UK’s leading authority in police pensions, David Lock QC, is releasing a number of podcasts, providing an in depth discussion of all the current police pension schemes including The Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 and how they should be administered.

Mr Lock has produced these extremely informative podcasts with accompanying documentation, alongside his colleague and fellow QC, Samantha Broadfoot, both of Landmark Chambers in London.

Our very grateful thanks goes to Landmark Chambers for producing this these useful guides which can be accessed by police, legal representatives and officers alike.

Please click on the link below which will go directly to the Landmark Chambers website where the podcasts can be found.

https://www.landmarkchambers.co.uk/resources/guide-to-the-law-on-police-pensions/

Guide to the law on police pensions

Further to our news item and the thoughts David Lock QC on the discriminatory nature of the Police Pension Regulations 2015, here is a link for those who may have been affected.

https://www.polfed.org/news-media/latest-news/2020/pfew-to-launch-compensation-claim-against-government/

David Lock QC gives an interesting insight into a number of conflicting cases and how recent case law has been shaped.

The conflict is between Laws/Evans on one hand and Doubtfire/Boskovic on the other. Hopefully we will have a defining correction at some stage in the future.

You may read his article here,

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/confusing-cases-bad-law-meaning-effect-decisions-made-david-lock-qc/

Alternately, you may read a copy here.

David Lock QC has released a new paper over the financial disaster that was imposed on some police officers by the forced implementation of the Police Pension Regulations 2015.

The Government have indicated that they will remedy the unsatisfactory situation, but it is not yet known how they are planning to resolve the issue, or when.

This is going to be a complex matter to unpick because retrospective changes to ill-health pensions will have a knock on effect to the calculated value of injury pensions as well.

You may read his article here,

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pension-rights-police-officers-who-suffer-losses-result-david-lock-qc/

Alternately, you may read a copy here.